Multiwire shielded cable connector

ABSTRACT

The present device is a combination of elements and features an insert member made of electrically insulating material in which a plurality of electrical conductor elements are disposed. Each conductor protrudes from the insert and is available for connection to an associated wire of a multiwire shielded cable. A hollow housing member is included in the combination which is formed with internal protrusions relief One of the protrusions snaps into and interlocks with a groove formed in the insert member and the other protrusion comprises a key which meshes with a keyway in the insert member. The latter protrusion provides an alignment means for aligning the housing member with the insert element and conductor elements of the connector assembly when it is engaged with another connector assembly. In addition the housing member has an aperture therein which serves as a means to solder or metallically fuse the housing member to the shield of the cable so that the housing member becomes the strain relief element as well as the protecting and alignment element.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Vernon F. Alibert 1vy Lane, Chester Heights, Pa. 19017 [21] Appl. No. 810,448 [22] Filed Mar. 26, 1969 [45] Patented Oct. 5, 1971 [54] MULTIWIRE SHIELDED CABLE CONNECTOR 3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 339/186 M, 339/89 M, 339/223 R [51] Int. Cl 1-10lr 13/50,

' l-lOlr 13/54 [50] Field of Search 339/46, 65, 66 M, 59 M, 62, 75, 89 M, 136 M, 143, 184 M, 186 M, 186 T, 187, 223

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Re.18,193 9/1931 Kpllgth 3391186114 X 1,034,910 8/1912 Greenway 339/186 X 2,312,002 2/1943 Schmitt 339/89 M X 2,563,762 8/1951 Uline et al. 339/186 M X 2,652,549 9/1953 lngalls et al 339/89 M X 339/186MX 339/I36MX Primary Examiner-Jan A. Calvert Attorney-William E. Cleaver ABSTRACT: The present device is a combination of elements and features an insert member made of electrically insulating material in which a plurality of electrical conductor elements are disposed. Each conductor protrudes from the insert and is available for connection to an associated wire of a multiwire shielded cable. A hollow housing member is included in the combination which is formed with internal protrusions relief One of the protrusions snaps into and interlocks with a groove formed in the insert member and the other protrusion comprises a key which meshes with a keyway in the insert member. The latter protrusion provides an alignment means for aligning the housing member with the insert element and conductor elements of the connector assembly when it is engaged with another connector assembly. In addition the housing member has an aperture therein which serves as a means to solder or metallically fuse the housing member to the shield of the cable so that the housing member becomes the strain relief element as well as the protecting and alignment element.

PATENTED 0m 5197:

INVENTOR.

Vernon F. Alibert ATTORNEY.

1 MULTIWIRE SHIELDED CABLE CONNECTOR BACKGROUND In the prior art connectors which have been used to handle multiwire shielded cables, employed with miniaturized circuits, have been relatively large, i.e., normally between 6 and 1% inches in diameter. While such connectors have been used to connect shielded cables of the variety which are used with miniaturized electronic components, the bulky characteristic of such connectors has made their use limited.

At least one of the reasons that such prior art connectors have been bulky is because of the multitude of threaded parts or fitted parts which have been'employed to assemble the housing member (I with the dielectric member that holds the female conductor members, and (2 with the strain relief element. For instance in.prior art connectors for multiwire shielded cables the dielectric member has been held in the housing means by virtue of a locking ring or locking spring. The locking ring is a split ring which is pinched together and inserted over a flange of the dielectric member but behind a set of cars or overlapping members of the housing. When the split ring is released from the pinched position it moves between the ears and the flange thereby locking the dielectric in place. The locking spring is used in a similar fashion. The

strain relief elements have been threaded or crimped, to the housing by a ring section and provided an elaborate clamp section with two screws to tighten down on the outer covering of the cable.

In view of the fact that these connectors are so relatively large (i.e., the connectors being from 1% inch to 1% inches in diameter and being used to connect shielded cables which are only one-tenth of an inch to two-tenths of an inch in diameter). They are undesirable for use with miniaturized electronic circuitry.

The present invention provides a small connector means for multiwire shielded cables which is easy to assemble and whose diameter approximates that of the cable to which it is connected.

SUMMARY The present connector is composed of a insert in a housing means. The insert in the preferred embodiment is made of Teflon polyester and has a plurality of female conductors molded therein. The female conductors have extensions which protrude from the end of the insert. The extensions of the female conductors are available for connection respectively to different wires of a multiwire shielded cable. After the wires have been connected to said extensions, the keyway of the housing is lined up and engaged with the keyway of the insert member. By virtue of a locking groove which is formed orthogonal to the keyway, the insert element is interlocked with and within the housing member. The housing member has an aperture formed in the end portion away from the keyway groove and which aperture is located to be positioned over a stripped section of the cable shield when the housing member and the insert member have been interlocked. By locating the aperture over the stripped section of the cable shield the housing can be soldered or metallicall) fused to the cable shield. Thereafter a knurled cap element, which is internally threaded, is positioned over the housing element for connection to another connector.

The features and objects of the present invention will become more apparent in accordance with the description taken in connection with the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of the entire assembly of the conn'ector with the insert of the housing being slightly rotated toward the top of the drawing;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the insert depicting the female conductors disposed therein; and

FIG. 3 is a pictorial view of the insert broken away to show the configuration of a conductor which is disposed within the insert.

In FIG. 1 there is shown an insert 11 which in the preferred embodiment is made of Teflon polyester (a product and trademark of the DuPont Co.). It should be understood that other dielectric materials such as epoxy resin, hard rubber, etc. might well be used. Formed in the insert 1 l is a keyway l3 and formed orthogonal to the keyway 13 is a locking groove 15. Located in the insert 11 are four female conductors the extensions 17, 19, 21 and 23 of which can be seen in FIG. 1. It should be understood that while the description of the assembly is set forth with respect to four female conductors, the invention is equally applicable to many other numbers of female conductors or male conductors which can be molded or secured in the dielectric insert. I

As is indicated in FIG. 1 the multiwires 25, 27, 29 and 31 of a multiwire shielded cable are individually stripped of insulation to provide a bare surface for each wire. Each of the bare surface sections of the wires 25, 27, 29 and 31 is to be connected to an associated one of the extensions 17, 19, 21 and 23 of the female conductors.

The bare sections of the wires may be connected by soldering or brazing or ultrasonically welding or any .othe'r-fonn of bonding wherein the two pieces of metal, namely the bare section of the wire and female conductor are secured one to the other to provide an electrically conducting means. FIG. 1 also indicates a set of dimensions which have been found to be satisfactory in the utilization of the present invention. These dimensions have been employed with a shielded cable which is approximately one-tenth of an inch in diameter. In accordance with these dimensions the insulation on the individual wires would be stripped to approximately the 0.032 inches from the ends of the wires. The shield 33 is stripped back 0.124 inches from the ends of the insulation of the individual wires 25, 27, 29 and 31 or 0.156 inches from the'ends of the individual wires. The outer covering 35 is stripped back 0.125 inches from the edge of the shield 33 or 0.281 inches from the ends of the wires 25, 27, 29 and 31. It should be understood that these dimensions are not critical and are offered for the purpose of indicating a set of specifications which can be used satisfactorily.

As can be seen in FIG. 1 the hollow housing member 37 is located and formed to be moved over the outer covering 35 of the shielded cable 43. The hollow housing member 37 is made of brass of some other suitable metal which can be readily molded or formed into shape. In the housing member 37 there is a keyway 39 formed. The keyway 39 when viewed from the inside of the housing member 37 is an internal protrusion. The protrusion 39 meshes into the keyway 13 of the insert element 11. Also formed in the housing member 37 is an internal protrusion 41. The internal protrusion 41 engages locking groove 15 at the insert element when insert element 11 is pushed or forced into the housing element 37.

When the wires 25, 27, 29 and 31 have been connected to the extensions 17, 19, 21 and 23 of the female conductors, the housing member 37 is moved to the right or in the alternative the cable 43 and the connected insert element 11 are moved to the left until the insert element is within the housing member and the left-hand edge of the insert element is abutting the locking groove 4,1. It is at this point of the assembling procedure that a certain amount of pressure has to be applied to the insert element to squeeze" it past the locking groove 41. At this juncture the insert element has been firmly placed within the housing element although it can be dislodged if necessary from the opposite side.

The housing element 37 has a flange or an annular locking protrusion 45 formed thereon for the purpose of locating the knurled cap 47. When the connector has been completely assembled and a male connector is to be connected thereto or a circuit board is to be connected thereto, the knurled cap 47 is moved up to the right to cover the entire connector assembly. The knurled cap 47 is internally threaded (although the threads are not shown in the drawing it should be clear to a person skilled in the art what such a configuration would be) and this thread serves to engage the threaded element on the external surface of another connector to join the two connector assemblies together. When the knurled cap 47 is rotated to engage another connector it is in abutment with the locking ring 45. This action causes the entire assembly to move with the threading action of a knurled cap 47. It should be un derstood that the knurled cap 47 could just as easily have been threaded externally with its counter part being threaded internally.

In addition the locking ring 45 actually locates where the knurled cap will be positioned when it is used to engage the connector assembly which it covers with another connector assembly.

Further in the housing means 37 there is located an aperture 49. By properly choosing the dimensions for stripping the shield the aperture 48 becomes located over the stripped shield 33 when the housing means is moved to the right over the cable and the insert 11 is interlocked within the housing means 37. When the aperture 49 has been so aligned, melted solder is dropped into the aperture 49 and of course when it cools it bonds the shield 33 to the housing means 37. By virtue of this soldering action the housing element 37 is firmly connected to the shield of the cable and hence the shield of the cable cannot twist or rotate within the housing means. The solder connection further provides one aspect of a strain relief element since if the cable 43 is pulled, the pulling action will V be transmitted through the solder connection to the housing element rather than to the connections between the wires 25, 27, 29 and 31 and the extensions l7, 19, 21 and 23. It should be noted in the figure that there is an extremely narrow section 51 in the housing means 37. The extremely narrow section 51 is approximately the same dimension as the cable 43. Hence, when he cable is originally inserted into the housing element 37 it has to be vigorously pulled through the narrow section 51. Accordingly, the cable becomes squeezed or slightly deformed as it passes through the narrow section 51 and there is a good frictional relief action at this narrow section. The narrow section in conjunction with the soldered connection through the aperture 49 transmit the pulling action to the housing means and according prevent a pulling action from being transmitted to the connections between the individual wires and the extensions and thereby breaking these connections. Further in FIG. I, there is shown a continuation of the cable 43 and located thereon is a rubber boot 53. When the elements shown in FIG. 1 have been assembled into one combination or assembly, that is, the insert 11 has been connected to the individual wires 25, 27, 29 and 31 and the housing member 37 has been moved to the right and over the connections and the insert; and the knurled cap has been moved up onto the housing means in its proper location, at that time the rubber boot 53 is moved to the right to cover the narrow section 51 as well as the soldered connection through the aperture 49. The rubber boot serves as an electrical insulator as well as a seal against the atmospheric elements to which the connector may be exposed.

FIG. 2 shows an end view of the insert 11. It will be noted in FIG. 2 that the keyway 13 is located in approximately the middle of the insert and that the manner in which it is depicted in FIG. 1 is done so in order to be able to show the positions of the four extensions. In FIG. 2 there is shown the openings of the female conductors 55, 57, 59 and 61. As mentioned earlier, while the device has been described in connection with the female conductors it should be understood, that male conductors might just as easily be molded in the insert 11, and hence have this entire assembly be a male connector assembly.

F IG. 3 shows an enlarged pictorial view of the insert 1 1 with the four female conductors, 55, 57, 59 and 61 located therein. Each of the female conductors (and it should be understood that this description and design could just as easily be related to male conductors) is formed to have a locking groove or indentation 63. in addition, each of the apertures in the insert 11, which is provided to receive and house a conductor, is formed with a locking ridge 65. The conductor is inserted from the front edge 67 first and is ueezed" past the lockin rrdge 65 until the locking groove 3 and locking ndge 6 become engaged. According y, each conductor is firmly secured in the insert member. This design provides a big advantage over the prior art. In the prior art, prong or wedgetype conductors were inserted in the dielectric element. If four such prong conductors were inserted, the dielectric expanded and sometimes cracked or in any event the presence of four conductors made it impossible or extremely diflicult to press fit the insert into the housing. In effect, the enlarged dimension of the insert 11 could no longer be tolerated by the housing member. With the conductor design and insert aperture design of the present invention, the conductors are securely located and there is no expansion or distortion of the insert member 11.

What is claimed is:

l. A connector device for a multiwire shielded cable comprising in combination: a hollow cylindrically shaped housing member having a first aperture located at one end thereof and a second aperture located at the other end thereof, said second aperture being formed to be approximately the same diameter as the shielded cable with which said connector device is used; a first internal protrusion fonned substantially parallel to the axis of said cylindrically shaped housing member with said first internal protrusion starting at said first aperture; a second internal protrusion fonned circumferentially within said housing member and toward said first aperture end; insert means being formed substantially cylindrically with a diameter that is slightly less than the diameter of said first aperture of said hollow cylindrically shaped housing member, said insert means having first and second ends; an plurality of electrical conductors disposed in said insert means and protruding from said second end and adapted to be connected respectively to different ones of the wires of a multiwire shielded cable with which said connector is used; and said insert means having first and second grooves, said first groove shaped to fit with said first protrusion and formed to start at said second end of said insert means, whereby said insert means can be inserted within said hollow cylindrically shaped housing member, after said electrical conductors have been connected to said wires of said multiwire shielded cable by passing said first aperture of said hollow cylindrically shaped housing member over said second end of said insert means, being guided by said first protrusion being meshed with said first groove and whereby said insert means can be interlocked with said hollow cylindrically shaped housing member by meshing said second protrusion with said second groove.

2. A connector device according to claim 1 wherein there is further included a third aperture disposed in the circumferential surface of said housing means and toward said second aperture end whereby when the wires of a multiwire shielded cable are connected to said electrical conductors said housing means can be metallically bonded to the shield of said shielded cable.

3. A connector device according to claim 1 wherein there is further included a third protrusion located at approximately said second aperture end and formed circumferentially around the housing means, the inside diameter of said third protrusion being approximately the same value as the outside diameter dimension of the cable with which said connector device is used. 

1. A connector device for a multiwire shielded cable comprising in combination: a hollow cylindrically shaped housing member having a first aperture located at one end thereof and a second aperture located at the other end thereof, said second aperture being formed to be approximately the same diameter as the shielded cable with which said connector device is used; a first internal protrusion formed substantially parallel to the axis of said cylindrically shaped housing member with said first internal protrusion starting at said first aperture; a second internal protrusion formed circumferentially within said housing member and toward said first aperture end; insert means being formed substantially cylindrically with a diameter that is slightly less than the diameter of said first aperture of said hollow cylindrically shaped housing member, said insert means having first and second ends; an plurality of electrical conductoRs disposed in said insert means and protruding from said second end and adapted to be connected respectively to different ones of the wires of a multiwire shielded cable with which said connector is used; and said insert means having first and second grooves, said first groove shaped to fit with said first protrusion and formed to start at said second end of said insert means, whereby said insert means can be inserted within said hollow cylindrically shaped housing member, after said electrical conductors have been connected to said wires of said multiwire shielded cable by passing said first aperture of said hollow cylindrically shaped housing member over said second end of said insert means, being guided by said first protrusion being meshed with said first groove and whereby said insert means can be interlocked with said hollow cylindrically shaped housing member by meshing said second protrusion with said second groove.
 2. A connector device according to claim 1 wherein there is further included a third aperture disposed in the circumferential surface of said housing means and toward said second aperture end whereby when the wires of a multiwire shielded cable are connected to said electrical conductors said housing means can be metallically bonded to the shield of said shielded cable.
 3. A connector device according to claim 1 wherein there is further included a third protrusion located at approximately said second aperture end and formed circumferentially around the housing means, the inside diameter of said third protrusion being approximately the same value as the outside diameter dimension of the cable with which said connector device is used. 